


How to Love a God

by orphan_account



Category: British Actor RPF, ben barnes - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-14
Updated: 2020-12-14
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:08:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28070703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Ben Barnes is on vacation in a ski resort town. You work the hotel bar as a bartender. Of course, you’re a big fan of his but after a few nights of him visiting you at the bar, things lead to places you never thought possible.
Relationships: Ben Barnes & Reader, Ben Barnes & You, Ben Barnes - Relationship, Ben Barnes/Reader, Ben Barnes/You
Comments: 1
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

Your arm reached across the bar and wiped it down as you did anytime someone left the bar. Soft tendrils of hair fell down into your face from the messy bun on top of your head. As you finished wiping, you tucked a piece behind your ear. The momentary distraction keeping you from noticing the man who walked in.

“Got any good gin around here?” His voice made you freeze. You knew that voice. That accent. How many times before had you dreamt of hearing that voice in person? And there it was. After only a moment you turned, your hand still tucking the hair back.

You put on a warm smile but your heart was racing and you could feel the blood rushing to your face. “Uh, hi! Yes we do! Here let me show you some!” You replied happily, hoping that turning away from Ben Barnes would be enough to calm your heart down a bit.

You rummaged on the shelves to find three of the highest quality gin. You placed them carefully in front of him. Standing closer to him only made the waft of his cologne hit your nose, making your chest feel tight. He was even more gorgeous up close.

His eyes found you and he cocked an eyebrow. “You alright love?” He asked quietly, his brows furrowing as his jaw clenched slightly. Little things that you had never noticed about another man at the bar before. But this was Ben fucking Barnes. Of course, you’d be staring.

You cleared your throat nervously. “Oh, um yes. It just- I’m a big fan of your work and I guess I’m a bit nervous to meet you” your voice shakily stammered out the words. But Ben, being the sweetheart he is, just held out his hand promptly. “Ben Barnes, obviously,” he laughed. That laugh made your stomach flip.

Your hand slipped into his effortlessly, the warmth radiating from his palm felt like a fire was being lit into your bloodstream. “y/n” you said politely with a soft nervous giggle of your own. But the way his hand held onto yours and the way his smile made those little wrinkles by his eyes appear, made your heart feel suddenly calm.

He finally let go of your hand and turned his attention back to the bottles. Both of his arms came onto the bar crossing over as he leaned in to read the labels. “So” he started as you realized you were staring again and forced your eyes to look at the bottles instead.

“You’re a fan of my work hm? What have you seen?” His eyes didn’t leave bottles as he spoke but his finger reached out to touch the label probably to more easily read the fine print. You took a sharp breath in before responding.

“Well, let’s see. I think Prince Capsian was my first experience with you-” why did you word it like that? Ben’s eyes found your face and suddenly he smiled, his teeth showing through his beard. “I mean cinematically of course” you quickly covered your tracks. Ben chuckled quietly before his eyes went back to the bottles.

He had probably finished reading the labels a while ago. He was a smart man. “And I’ve seen The Big Wedding, Dorian Grey, The Punisher, Westworld, Gold Digger..” you held out your fingers trying to recall everything.

Ben sat back and looked at you as he crossed his arms over his chest. “Impressive list” he said with a slow nod of his head. “You weren’t kidding when you’re said you were a fan,” he said, his face showing his genuine impression.

You felt the heat grow in your cheeks. Ben must have noticed the color change too because he was smiling brighter at you. You turned your eyes away to look at the bottles as you stepped closer and placed a hand on one. 

“Made a choice?” You ask finally looking to him and noticing his eyes didn’t budge from you. Not in a creepy way but an endearing way. Ben just had this air about him that you could just tell he was a really nice human being.

His hand came forward and his pointer finger landed softly on your hand to point at the bottle you just happened to touch. “That one,” his voice rang into your ears softly before he pulled back and chewed on his lower lip quickly.

After pouring him a glass, you found that no one else had come into the bar in some time. Perhaps it was a security thing to make sure Ben wasn’t disturbed but having a bit of alone with one of your celeb crushes wasn’t exactly a bad time. You set the glass in front of him and smiled weakly. “Enjoy” you spoke warmly, trying to ease your nerves.

You turned around and busied yourself with wiping down another part of the bar. You were sure there was no reason to but how rude would it be to just stare at Ben as he drank gin from a glass? You took the opportunity to slip your phone from your front pocket and do a quick little search.

This had to be some sort of boredom dream right? Or someone just doing a really good impersonation of Ben Barnes? Right? Your fingers flew across the digital keyboard, holding out a glimmer of hope that this wasn’t real. But it was. There it was. An Instagram story posted only an hour before with the location tag of the hotel you were currently stood in. Damn.  
  
Ben cleared his throat as the sound of the glass touching the wooden bar top hit you. You spun feeling like a deer caught in headlights. He gave you a curious look then smiled warmly. “That was excellent. You have great taste” he sat back and you noticed a little twinkle in his eye.

Was he… flirting? There was no possible way Ben Barnes would be flirting with you. There just wasn’t. He was Ben Barnes and you were just… you. This was just his smile, his kind demeanor getting the better of your hormones.

Just then a large man in a suit came into the bar behind you. “Mr. Barnes, your car is ready.” Ben gave the man a quick nod and held up a finger to signal to give him a minute. Ben turned his attention back to you and you smiled nervously.

Ben stood and reached into his pocket pulling out a genuine leather wallet. Because of course, he would have one. He placed a few bills on the bar and placed his glass over them, locking his gaze with your eyes the entire time. “Don’t lift the glass till I’m gone” he instructed and you nodded with a half-smirk. “Nice to meet you y/n. See you around” he said with a slight tap on the bar before leaving.

The moment he was out of your sight you let out a breath you didn’t know you had been holding. Your eyes immediately zoned in on the empty glass with dollar bills under it. Swallowing a hard lump you move toward it and picked up the glass daintily. Under it was four 20-dollar bills. Far more than the drink was worth. He had left you a nearly 120% tip.

Your hands moved slowly to pick up the bills, your eyes wider and your mouth agape. This was a mistake. Ben just didn’t realize what he was taking out of his wallet. You finally turned and used the cash to close out his tab which was not nearly the amount he had given you. You decided to pocket the cash for now but would need to find out which room he was staying in to give back the money.


	2. Chapter 2

Your knuckles tapped on the bar nervously as you pocketed the extra cash. Your eyes did an extra take before your brain finally caught up. You dug into your pocket again and pulled out your phone. You had to be dreaming or hallucinating. Something.

But nope. Right there on Instagram, Ben’s story was still up. Proving that your interaction with him was real. Shit. You hadn’t asked for an autograph or a picture or anything. And the pile of cash certainly wasn’t proof enough that the actual Ben Barnes had been in your presence.

You paced the floor a bit, your converse making a soft thud with each step. “Y/n! You ready to get the fuck outta here?” A familiar voice rang out. Your best friend and coworker Dani was headed your way. You snapped your phone screen up to her as she got closer. “Did you know about this?!” You asked impatiently.

Dani took a look at your phone and then to you with a simple nod. “Yup. Boss made an announcement the day you were sick a few weeks” she told you with a smug smile. The signature lollipop stick in her mouth twirled around as her mouth changed shape. She knew about your incessant crush on the man and could more than likely recall all the dreams about him that you had told her about.

You turned your phone around but your eyes were still wide. Dani’s brows furrowed a bit in concern. “You know, this wasn’t the reaction I thought you’d have knowing Ben Barnes is somewhere in this place,” she laughed quietly, a bit nervously too.

“He’s not here right now,” you answered as your hand dug into your apron and pulled out the wad of cash. “He left me this before heading out to his car for some other event or something,” you didn’t even make eye contact with Dani until the end of your sentence. Your face was feeling warm.

“You met him?!” The realization finally dawned on Dani after a moment of staring at the cash. You looked at her almost in a daze. “Maybe,” you told her but the pink flush appearing on your cheeks told her all she needed to know.

“Hold up” her hands came up to wave away the insecure tension. “You met him. You talked to him. And he paid you a hefty tip? Girl,” Dani leaned heavily against the bar to get closer to your face. “Make your damn dreams a reality” she finished with a smirk but you were quickly shushing her as you gathered the bills and replaced them in your apron pocket. 

“Let’s go. Go clock out. Get your ass changed. We are going to pour it out for this story. C'mon! C'mon!” Dani insisted as she came around the bar and pulled your arm towards the small office space that served as a backroom of sorts.

In a quiet fit of giggles, the two of you finally left the office twenty minutes later. With your bag thrown over your shoulder, your arm linked with Dani’s. She was busy distracting you with little thoughts that made you blush really hard and giggle nonstop. She was hip checking you as you rounded the corner to the main foyer entrance to the hotel.

“Y/n?” That voice again. The two of you froze as Ben Barnes once again materialized before you. He held a brown paper bag in one hand, the kind that you get to carry a to-go meal in. His warm smile directed towards you made Dani elbow your side. You winced slightly at the little twinge of pain but kept your eyes on Ben. Internally though, you were glaring at Dani, swearing at her not to tell him anything.

“H-Hey, hi,” you finally stammer out. “Leaving already?” His eyes scan your face before looking to Dani to give a smile and nod combined with a quiet “hey there”. “Uh, yeah. Yeah. My shift is over for today,” you explain. Of course it would have to end, he should know that.

His face seemed calm as his gaze directed back at you. “Oh. Will you be working tomorrow as well? I’d love to get some more of that gin,” his smile grew behind his beard, enough to show his pearly whites. Your hand came up to nervously scratch at your face. “Oh! Well the bar is still open and I think that” you had turned slightly and motioned towards the bar but you were cut off by Dani’s elbow in your side again.

“I mean, yes. I’m working tomorrow. Same time,” you told Ben. He smiled warmly before giving a nod. “Good. I’ll see you then,” he replied as he held up the bag briefly. “Might even share this with you if I haven’t eaten it all in the morning,” and he chuckled before giving a soft nod to Dani and looking to you as he walked away.

“Hole. Lee. Shit,” Dani whispered. But you could barely hear her over the whooshing of your own heart in your ears. You turned your head to see him heading up the first flight of stairs on the grand staircase. The view was spectacular but then it dawned on you. The money.

You quickly and quietly explained to Dani to go out to her car and wait for you. She gave a little wink and you rolled your eyes. Once she was out of your grasp, you turned and started for the stairs. “Ben?” You called up after him.

He stopped at the landing and turned to look down to see you coming up the stairs. “Y/n? What’s going on?” His brows furrowed a bit but when with that face, God he was gorgeous.

When you reached the landing you stood a few feet away from him, slightly out of breath. You took a moment to catch it before reaching into your bag and grabbing the cash he had left. You held it up before swallowing hard. “You um you left too much money back at the bar. It’s only 18% tip required” your voice shook as you spoke. Partly from the jog up the stairs, partly from the nerves building.

He gave a little frown before chuckling. “No I didn’t” he responded simply before moving closer to you. “That’s absolutely for you” his chin jutted in the direction of the cash you were still holding up. “I appreciated your honesty. It was quite refreshing to meet a fan who wasn’t completely tongue tied or asking for autographs and selfies with me.” Oh if only he knew. His soft chuckle that followed his words made your heart skip a beat.

You took a sharp inhale through your nose before braving a warm smile in return. “Well now it would just feel awkward if I asked for a selfie, wouldn’t it?” you laughed nervously. “Not at all” Ben replied before he was holding out his hand for your phone. His fingers wriggled a bit playfully in impatience. You guffawed before pulling your phone from your bag and turning on the camera in selfie mode. You placed it in his hand and he immediately moved next to you, wrapping his arm around your shoulder.

He leaned in closer and a bit down to fit both of you in the frame. His smile that you could see on the phone screen immediately made yours grow wider. Click. “Another?” he asked. Were you really just about to have a selfie session with the one and only Ben Barnes? You shrugged and smirked in response. He held you closer, his hand on your shoulder gripping a bit tighter to pull you against him.

This time he chose to make a silly face which made you laugh and he snapped the photo. “No wait!” you immediately felt your cheeks flush. “That’s not fair!” you pouted playfully as he looked to you and your breath caught in your throat. You hadn’t been this close to him before. In fact you hadn’t been this physically close to someone other than Dani in months. “Just, um. We should both be making a funny face,” you recovered as your eyes met his. He grinned knowingly and turned his attention back to the camera. He stuck his tongue out, his eyes squinting in the process and you opted to do a similar pose. Click.

“Keep those close” he told you before handing your phone back to you. But he didn’t let go of it right away which made you raise an eyebrow at him. “I don’t normally take silly selfies like that with just anyone,” he gave an awfully devilish wink before letting go of your phone and turning around to head towards the elevator. “See you tomorrow Y/N!” he called over his shoulder. You quickly clicked the button to view recent photos and there he was.

The smile grew on your lips as you scrolled to the next one that you thought would be of you laughing at this silly face but it wasn’t. It was the two of you looking at each other. You hadn’t even heard the noise of the shutter but the way you two were looking at each other was like one of those built up tension moments in a rom-com. You took the moment to pinch zoom into the photo to see his eyes close up. He was definitely looking right at you.


	3. Chapter 3

Your heart felt like it was leaping out of your chest as your eyes fixated on the photo and that look. That look in his eyes. You hadn’t noticed in the moment how warm his gaze had been. You were too focused on looking like a fool in the previous photo.

Your phone buzzed in your hand and you nearly dropped it from the surprise. It was Dani.

Where the fuck are you? Are you like making out with Ben or something?

You groaned and rolled your eyes before putting your phone back into your purse and heading back down the stairs. You could feel the cool air immediately in your skin as you stepped outside, a sure sign you had been blushing.

You slid into the seat and closed the door as Dani just stared at you. You got buckled before you looked at her and your brows furrowed. “What” you asked impatiently.

“Did you kiss him?!” She asked as a playful grin curved her lips. “Oh my god! Shut up!” Your hand came up to smack her shoulder which just made both of you burst into laughter.

“I tried to give him the extra money back and he said no. That I was like basically cool for not losing my shit when I first met him” you tried to calm the shakiness in your body as you shrugged nonchalantly. But your grin gave you away.

“Tell the rest bitch!” It was Dani’s turn to smack your shoulder. “Ow!” You yelped at the slight sting. “Sorry not sorry. Now spill” Dani’s gaze was laser focused on you and you alone. “We took selfies” you answered simply before Danii was suddenly reaching her hand into your bag on your lap.

“No! Dani- don’t-” but your protests went unanswered. Dani knew your passcode and immediately pulled up your photo gallery. She clicked her teeth with a chuckle. “What a cute and weird couple” she said as she scrolled and stopped.

“Whoa” she commented as she looked at you slowly. “He is so into you” she pointed at the face he was making while looking at you. You quickly snatched your phone and shoved in your bag. “There’s no fucking way Dani. He is the Ben Barnes. Have you seen me lately? Total mess” you protested but Dani rolled eyes. She shrugged, sat back in her seat and started the car.

Safe to say that Dani wanted every detail of what he said, how he said it and where his hand had been, how long you had been touching and of course she asked to see the phone again.

After sufficient amounts of wine were consumed, Dani passed out on your couch. You covered her with the throw blanket and headed off to bed yourself. But not before wanting a shower.

You had a spark of an idea as you walked into your bedroom. You took a detour to your dresser and opened the top drawer. Your grin grew upon seeing the silicone friend that you had used so many times before. But this time, this time you had a little added bonus. The added memory of what transpired back at work. Being that close, hearing his voice nearly in your ear. It was perfect.

Your grin grew as you took the vibrator from the drawer, tossed it gently onto your bed and stripped down. You grabbed your phone and quickly pulled up the photo he was sticking his tongue out. The perfect visual.

Getting into the shower was no problem. You washed your hair, scrubbing away the dingy feeling from being at work. But then it was time to enjoy yourself. You suctioned the dildo to the shower wall and lined yourself up. Your eyes closed and you pictured Ben’s face and what that tongue of his might be capable of.

You slid down slowly onto the dildo and immediately let out a quiet moan as it filled you. You had had dreams many times over the last few years of Ben being the one to fill you but your imagination was working overtime just then in the soapy shower stall.

You rode the dildo at a slow and steady pace and let the sound of Ben speaking next to you fill your memory. Your lower lip curled in as your teeth chewed on it. Your hands roamed over your curves as your breathing became shaky.

Your body was quick to start trembling from the core of your chest down. You quivered as you neared that peak. You moaned out his name quietly still so as to not wake Dani.

Then the wave crashed over you. Your hand came over your mouth to stifle the moan of Ben’s name as it fell off your lips. There was a quivering in your voice as your moan lingered. You rested against the shower wall, the warm water falling over your body as you rode out of the wave of euphoria.

Finally you pulled yourself off but your legs were wobbly. You giggled quietly to yourself as you imagined if that’s what your imagination could do, what would it have been like to actually have Ben inside of you. You calmed your breathing and soaped down yourself again before washing the dildo and unsticking it from the tile wall.

You did the usual of drying yourself off and wrapping one towel around your body. You grabbed a smaller one to dry your hair as you walked. You placed the handy little friend of yours back into its storage place and walked over to your bed.

You had three notifications. One from Facebook about your mom posting some vacation pictures. Another about a tweet from a band you liked announcing a new album. But it was that last notification that held the most surprise. It was actually two notifications from instagram. Ben Barnes had not only followed your account but he sent you a DM too.

_“Can’t wait to see you working the bar tomorrow 😉”_


	4. Chapter 4

The smile that spread your lips as you awoke was like the scene in the movies when the girl falls in love. The extracurricular activity that you had in the shower the previous night apparently helped you sleep better. You weren’t really surprised but it was nice to wake up and not feel hungover or dehydrated or even more tired than when you fell asleep.

Dani was still very much passed out on your couch when you snuck your way into the kitchen to get food. You debated on what to eat and the thought flipped your stomach.

Ben Barnes is going to come visit you at work again.

Not only that but he literally followed you on instagram. You hadn’t realized how still you were until Dani stirring on the couch made you jump. “Whatcha making?” her voice grumbled as she sat up and you turned toward her.

“Eggs and sausage” you replied dryly, trying to cover the beating in your chest.

Dani shuffled her feet across the floor, the blanket wrapped around her shoulders. Her blond hair fell messily around the blanket and her face as she reached the bar stool and plopped down.

After finishing your plates, Dani looked at you, a bit more alert by now. “You seem happy. Have good dreams about Ben.” The shit-eating grin on her face said it all. You scoffed and rolled your eyes.

You made to walk past her and Dani just chuckled. “You did! You totally did! You dirty girl!” Dani called after you as you made your way into your room.

You had a few errands to run before work but you were able to get them done in an efficient, timely manner. Dani had helped by driving you around and she did not, for one minute, let it go that Ben was following you on Instagram and had DMed you with a winky face.

The time seemed to drag on though. Partly because of Dani and her crazy imagination thinking up crazy ways that you and Ben would end up together. Partly because you had that over excited for something coming up feeling in your gut. You know, the kind that you’d get as a kid when you knew it was just a few hours away from your birthday party. That.

It was finally the point when Dani would drop you off for your shift and you felt your heart thudding extra hard in your chest. When you walked into the lodge, you greeted the other workers that you recognized, trying to hold some semblance of normalcy.

When you entered the bar area, you noticed it was actually kind of busy. Not like the other night. Which meant that you wouldn’t be left alone with Ben. Not that that was a bad thing. It actually might help your nerves to not only have Ben to focus on.

Not even ten minutes into your shift and he came striding into the space. A few people stood up to greet him and ask for autographs but there wasn’t a gaggle of women flocking to him like you had seen in other videos of him being in public.

But even as he signed autographs and took selfies, his eyes found you and didn’t leave your gaze for more than a few minutes. That little smirk he gave made your heart flip and you had to turn to hide the blushing. You decided that busying yourself getting another glass of the same gin ready for him for when he sat down would be ideal.

You placed the half full glass in front of the seat he had been sitting in the previous night and within a few seconds, his tall frame came into view, settling down into the seat. He chuckled quietly before taking the glass and without a word, placing it to his lips.

You felt your chest tighten watching him, staring at him.

“Delicious,” he said with a soft sigh, the glass being replaced onto the bar.

You gave a soft half chuckle. “Glad it hasn’t aged poorly over night.”

Ben looked at you with a slightly cocked brow but his smirk became echoed on your own face. “Seems it hasn’t. Either that or you’re just a pro at pouring it” Ben quipped back as he leaned back to take another sip. You just shook your head with that permanent grin on your lips.

“So what are your plans after work tonight? Hanging out with that friend of yours again?” Ben asked after a few moments passed. You looked to him and moved closer to wipe down the bar next to where he was.

You shrugged. “Probably. Dani’s really the only person I’ve got close by” you admitted.

“What about your family?”

“They’re off living their lives now. Mom’s on a vacation with my new stepdad,” and in that moment you realized you were opening up about your personal life to Ben Barnes.

Ben simply gave a small chuckle and jutted his chin in your direction. “Sounds like you need some new company” and when you looked over at him, a wink appeared. A wink? What the hell did that mean?

You scoffed quietly. “Maybe I do” your voice was quiet with the response which only made his grin wider, showing his pearly whites. His fingers came to his mouth to pull at his lips in thought. “What about sushi? Do you like sushi?”

“I’ve had a few times, yeah.”

Ben leaned over the bar to get closer to you to speak in hushed tones. “So after your shift, I’ll meet you in the foyer and we can go get sushi.”

His tone wasn’t really a question. It was more matter of fact sounding, as if he had already made up your mind for you.

The next few hours, you buzzed around the bar, taking care of patrons and making drinks as you needed to. Conversations flowed but you always found yourself back at Ben. Well honestly, who wouldn’t? Ben sat at the bar the entire time, having a few refills of the gin but mostly to keep you entertained from anyone that might have been trying too hard to hit on you or get you to drink on the clock with them.

A few points throughout the hours, a gaggle of women would flock to Ben to ask for pictures and autographs but not once did he turn them down. He was always polite even through their giggles and million questions. You weren’t even annoyed or jealous but you definitely were watching the way he interacted and realized how pure his heart was for dealing with that in a public setting in such a polite way.

When the most recent group of women left him, saying thank you over and over again. He turned his head back and his gaze immediately found you. You exchanged smiles before he was finishing off his glass, a signal for you to come over to him.

“Another round?”

“I think I will hold off for now. Don’t need to be wasted for our hangout later.”

You gave a half laugh but could feel your cheeks start to warm with a blush. He gave you a little wink and set his glass down further inward on the bar. When your hand went to reach for it, he still held it. Your head snapped to look at him and his grin had turned mischievous. “Wh-what are you doing?” you pushed out in a soft breath.

Without a word, he released the glass but his hand brushed against yours. You gave him a narrowed look before he was sitting back with a chuckle. Cheeky.

The next hour seemed to be your busiest so when it came time for you to hand over the reins to the next bartender, you were relieved. Peter was the one to relieve you. A short stocky boy not much older than yourself but very professional in every sense. You did the till count, were handed the tips owed to you from the credit card transactions and closed out any tabs to replace them in Peter’s name.

You looked to Ben and held up a single finger that pointed to the foyer. He nodded, taking the cue and got up from his seat to meet you. You slipped into the backroom but not before stealing a glance at Ben over your shoulder, at the same time he had looked back to see you and gave you a grin that made your heart flutter.


	5. Chapter 5

After gathering your things and changing your shirt, you walked out to the lobby. At first, you didn’t see Ben and got concerned that something pulled him away.

You still didn’t know exactly why he was here but being a celebrity meant that you always had prior engagements whether it was photoshoots or meetings or-

Your thoughts were interrupted by his tall frame coming into your view down the steps in the foyer. You’d be lying if you said your heart didn’t skip a beat.

Donning a V-neck dark grey t-shirt and dark denim pants, he definitely looked like he was ready for a vacation. Maybe this wasn’t a work-related thing after all.

“Hey,” he smiled warmly at you.

“Hey,” you responded, hoping your voice wasn’t as shaky as your nerves were shot.

“I did some research and found the best sushi place in the area.” Ben gestured towards the door and you moved with him.

“Impressive,” you said with a sly smirk. He cocked an eyebrow at you but he echoed the smirk.

You took his car to the sushi place and instead of having his driver drive you, Ben actually drove himself. You sat in the passenger seat and felt heat creep to your cheeks. This was like a real date of sorts.

The conversation was light and easy. His questions didn’t seem to pry but he sounded genuinely curious to find out more about you. He asked a bit more about your family and about your schooling and when you shyly admitted to dropping out of junior college, he looked over at you briefly.

“Hey, that’s not a bad thing, you know,” his voice was calm and reassuring as his gaze went back and forth between you and the road like he was really trying to make you believe him.

You smiled weakly. It felt good to have anyone reassure you but to have the human you admired say it? That was going to scare that insecurity right off.

When you made it to the sushi place, you gasped. You had never been there but you had heard amazing things about their food. Their prices were out of your range usually so you had never ordered from there.

Ben chuckled. "I take that as a good sign then?”

“Yes! Oh my God! This place is really good!” You stopped yourself from sounding too excited. Didn’t need to be geeking out like that in front of Ben Barnes. “Um, I mean, so I’ve heard,” you spoke more calmly as you shrugged your shoulders and reached for the door handle.

“Ah ah!” Ben tutted holding up his hand to pause your actions. You furrowed a brow as he quickly hopped out, closed his door and came around to your side to open the door for you.

A true gentleman.

He probably saw the way your eyes dropped in slight embarrassment and he watched you intently as you made to shift in the seat to get out. His hand shot forward to hold it out to you.

You stopped breathing for a half a second. Holding Ben’s hand was not on your docket. Your heart fluttered as you gently placed your hand in his and looked up at him as you got out. “Th-thank you,” you stuttered nervously.

Before you could pull your hand away, the car door was shut behind you and Ben was wrapping his fingers around your hand. In another moment, his hand guided yours to tuck your arm through his.

“Wow,” you whispered to yourself. But he heard you. His looked over at you and grinned. You caught his gaze and your eyes widened.

“Relax, love. It’s okay to be treated like a princess sometimes,” he said with a wink and you could have sworn your heart flipped up into your throat with how hard your pulse was.

———————

Dinner was perfect. Even when you didn’t order “true” sushi and just got the California and veggie rolls, Ben didn’t admonish you or even tease you. Instead he ordered the same thing.

Conversations had been light and easy but because the two of you were sat side by side at the counter, your elbow had bumped him a few times which caused both of you to laugh.

By the end, you had one roll left on the plate and you looked over at Ben. “You’re welcome to the last one. I am stuffed,” you chuckled. Your laughs were becoming far less nervous sounding the more time you spent around Ben.

“Are you sure?” He questioned but before you could answer he was reaching across you and attempting to pick up the roll with his chopsticks.

His face was so close to yours in that moment that you could see the little multicolored hairs in his beard. They were subtle and there wasn’t a crazy amount of them which is why his beard always looked so dark in far away pictures.

Your eyes did a dance around his face before he dipped the roll into the soy sauce and tried to quickly shove it into his mouth over your plate. You snickered at the motion, causing him to turn towards you.

You immediately stopped and held your breath. His eyes were absolutely divine at this close proximity. And they were staring right into yours.

He swallowed and sat back with a grin on his lips. “Delicious,” he muttered quietly as he used the napkin to wipe up his chin where some soy sauce had dripped.

“Shall we go then?” He asked as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet, placing an appropriate amount for the check total and the tip. He stood up and placed a few more bills into the jar for the chef that had their rolls right in front of them.

You nodded slowly and grinned at him as he made his way around and helped pull out your chair as you stood up. This time all he had to do was hold out his arm and you giggled before looping your arm through it, your other hand resting on his bicep.

On the drive back, it had started to snow. Ben drove slower and more carefully. “It’s truly a marvel,” he spoke suddenly in the post-eating quiet that filled the car.

“What is?” You questioned, looking over at him instead of out your window. You thought he’d be talking about the snow because if he was, he was absolutely right.

“That you are such a huge fan of mine but have yet to act like I’m some untouchable person.”

Your heart did its thing again. Oh, how little he knew. “Well,” you started before shifting your hips in the seat a bit. “You are a human after all. But to be honest, I’m super freaking nervous,” you gave a half laugh. “I mean, you’re real. Like, really here. Meeting you had been a dream of mine and it’s not just because I’m a fan of your work. I genuinely think you’re a fantastic human being. Everything you do for charities and the way you are always so kind just,” you stopped and realized you were sounding a bit too involved in his life. “I’m sorry. I just really admire you,” you said sheepishly as you turned back to look out the windshield as the snow melted down it.

He gave a soft chuckle. “Yes I am real and here,” he replied before his hand came over to cover yours in your lap gently. “But that honesty you have? To be able to tell me all that? That means a lot to me,” he told you with such a warmth in his voice you thought you could cry.

He let go of your hand to replace it on the steering wheel as he pulled into the driveway to the resort. He got out to come to your side, almost slipping on the ice that had formed but catching himself on the hood of the car. You couldn’t help but stifle a small giggle as he opened the door.

“Oh you saw that didn’t you? Guess I’m not so suave after all,” he chuckled as you once again took his hand and stood up. He carefully closed the door and you looped your arm in his again.

You took little steps but somehow managed to find a spot of slick ice and felt your legs start to give out. Ben’s arm gripped yours more forcefully to try to help you but the sudden change of balance caused to the two of you to tumble to the ground just in front of the door.

The small grunts and groans of soreness and pain ensued before both of you looked at each other and erupted. “Definitely not suave,” you managed between laughs and gasping for air. Ben laughed with you and the two of you were looking like a pair of fools on that driveway.

After getting up and making it inside, Ben stopped you by the shoulders and looked at your face. “Are you okay?” he asked and you couldn’t help but giggle.

“I’m fine. I’ll be sore in the morning but it was worth the sushi date and falling on top of you,” you blurted. You gasped and covered your mouth and shook your head furiously. “No, no. Oh my god- Please don’t- Oh.”

Ben’s hands had come to your face and gently held your jaw to make you calm down. Your breath caught in your chest as he looked you over, his eyes scanning every part of your face. “I enjoyed having you fall on top of me,” he spoke softly with a grin attached. Before you could respond, he leaned down and pressed the most gentle and short kisses to your lips before pulling back. “Thank you for joining me for sushi,” he said as his hands fell from your face. “See you tomorrow.” He turned to walk away but not before looking over his shoulder to see you still stood there completely in shock.


End file.
